Were I to use the word in a sentence, for example, I could write, "The Worcester police chief was mendacious when he claimed in 2011 that he never threw his top-ranked female under the bus." Or maybe, "The police chief was mendacious when he told reporters he couldn't discuss his brother, but later prattled on to Jordan Levy, who treats the chief like he walks on water. That, too, could be considered mendacious."

Anyway, the adjective is a favorite of Chief Gary Gemme, who is fond of using big words when small ones would do, and thus would make a terrible journalist. He used it last November to describe former police officer Mark Rojas, but in a nifty bit of wordplay also managed to slime the T&G: "The only thing more slanderous and mendacious than Rojas is the Worcester Telegram and Gazette's propensity for giving the disgruntled and discredited a public forum for their unsubstantiated and fabricated innuendo."

So now comes the disgruntled and discredited Rushton, who raised the ire of the chief when he mis-spoke to our City Hall reporter in a story Tuesday about the city manager possibly leaving the helm.

"With pending departures in public works, law enforcement and planning, this city would be better served with Mike O'Brien in his role as city manager," Rushton said. Oops. While departures are due in the DPW and planning departments, no one has mentioned any administrative changes in the Police Department.

OK, Rushton goofed. While he and the chief aren't mutual fans, the mistake seems innocent enough, unless you suspect that Rushton is so childlike he believes that speaking a wish aloud can make it come true.

So if you dismiss the comment as no big deal, you'd be right. If you believe it was a malicious slur that caused grievous harm and was mendacious in the extreme, you'd be Chief Gemme. Never one to miss an opportunity to express outrage, he dashed off an officious and overwrought statement that reads like it was prepared by a legal firm that advertises on public access television.

"City Councilor Rick Rushton, for an elected official, is grossly misinformed at best or mendacious and irresponsible at worst," the chief wrote, adding that Rushton's comment is "completely false and undermines the stability and leadership of the police department."

As noted, it's quite easy to raise the ire of Chief Gemme. I, personally, could do it in my sleep. If raising the ire of the chief was a sport, let's just say you wouldn't need steroids to compete.

Gemme also added this rather odd claim: "I can state unequivocally, that I will continue to serve as the police chief until 2019."

Can he, though? What if he got sick? What if he accepts a standing job offer to become North Korea's minister of public information? What if he went out on a disability pension after being crushed by his enormous ego? What if he's accidentally trampled by obsequious city councilors?

I've noted frequently in this space that the chief has many fine qualities, but a thick skin isn't one of them. In constant search for a foil, he relishes public battles with city councilors, judges, the media, and anyone he deems deserving of a takedown.

I wish someone would give our caped crusader a chill pill. It also wouldn't hurt, from a literary standpoint, if someone set fire to his thesaurus.